Decorating metal surfaces



ICE.

KAJLMAN WARCTA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOE TO THE METALLOGRAPH CORPO- RATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIONB OF NEW YORK.

DECORATING METAL SURFACES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KALMAN VVARGA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Decorating Metal Surfaces, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of decorating metal surfaces, such as aluminum, aluminum alloys or a mixture of metals, one of which is aluminum. More particularly, the invention relates to a method, whereby multi-color decorations, designs, lettering, etc., are provided by printing process upon metal surfaces, containing aluminum.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a method of the type mentioned, whereby the several color films are inseparably united and fixed by heat to the metallic surface.

With this and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the process consists in the several steps hereinafter re cited and pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that several changes may be made in the process, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In practice, it has been found that, if a thin or comparatively thin film of vitreous material brought into Contact with the heated surface of aluminum or of an aluminum alloy, or of a mixture of metals, one of which is aluminum, the said film will firmly adhere to the metallic surface. It has also been found that, when the aluminum having the film of vitreous material applied thereto is raised to a sulliciently high temperature, a chemical reaction will occur between the oxid on the surface of the metal and the overlying vitreous material, and as a result of such action and the heat to which it is subjected, such material will be vitrified and a compound formed which will act to cement the vitrified material to the metal. The method, forming the subiect matter of the present application for 46ttcrs latcnt, is based on this chemical reaction, mineral colors being employed Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 27, 1919.

which are incorporated in or mixed with fluxes or bindersof or containing vitreous material of predetermined melting points.

in order to make these pigment containing fluxes or binders applicable for printing processes, they must, obviously be mixed with liquid or viscous materials, so as to obtain printing inks, which are applied to the metal surfaces by any preferred printing process, impressions being made by printing surfaces, to which the work is, ordinarily, successively presented. The liquid or viscous materials mentioned should be volatile at low temperatures, so that they are adapted to evaporate from the mass before the actual cementing process between the fluxes or binders and the metal surface begins, thereby preventing the formation of blisters, etc, in the designs.

The melting point of any given mixture of mineral color or pigment and vitreous flux or binder depends on the ratio between the quantity of flux employed to the quantity of color or pigment, more particularly the greater the quantity of flux relative to the quantity of color, the lower the degree of temperature required for melting.

ln carrying out the process, forming the subject matter of the present application for Letters Patent, first the printing inks are prepared in such a manner that the color with which the first impression is to be made contains the highest percentage of vitreous flux or binder, the next color a somewhat lower percentage, and so on. It is preferable that the difierence in melting temperature between any two colors following each other should be marked, but not excessive.

hat surface of the aluminum sheet or object, to which the design, lettering, etc., is to be applied, must, obviously, be smooth, but should, preferably, be to some extent oxidized. impressions are then made in succession on the surface, and the printed sheet or object placed into a kiln, in which a temperature is maintained to produce melting of the color having the highest melting point. As the aluminum sheet or object and the several color films thereon are heated, first that color, which lies next to the sheet or object, melts and is fixed to the aluminum without affecting the colors above and adjacent the same. The second color is then reached, it fixing itself onto the first color that has already been cemented to the aluminum,the third and other colors are then reached, in succession. After the cementing process, the aluminum sheet or object is removed from the kiln, preferably by passing it through lower and lower temperature, so as to prevent cracking, etc., of the decoration.

The'purpose of using colors of predetermined and different melting points is to prevent the colors from running one into another, as they are being fixed to the metal sheet or object.

What I claim is 2- 1. The method of producing multi-color decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, applying to the metal surface a plurality of superimposed color films containing each a mineral pigment and a vitreous binding material, the binding materials melting at dif ferent temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest, and, second, fixing said films by heat.

2. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, printing upon the metal surface a plurality of superimposed color films containing each a min eral pigment and a vitreous binding material, the binding materials melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest, and, second, fixing said films by heat.

3. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, applying to the metal surface a plurality of superimposed color films containing each a mineral pigment and a flux, the fiuxes melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest, and, second, fixing said films by heat.

4. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, printing upon the metal surface a plurality of superimposed color films containing each a mineral pigment and a flux, the fluxes melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest, and, second, fixing said films by heat.

5. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, permitting the metal surface to oxidize and apvplying a plurality of super-imposed color films containing each a mineral pigment and a vitreous'bindlng material, the binding ma.-

terials melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest, and, second, fixing said films by heat.

6. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, permitting the metal surface to oxidize and printing a plurality of super-imposed color films containing each a mineral pigment and a vitreous binding material, the binding materials melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest,and, second, fixing said films by'heat.

7. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first permitting the metal surface to oxidize and applying a plurality of super-imposedcolor films containing each a mineral pigment and a fiux, the fluxes melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest, and, second, fixing said films by heat.

8'. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, permitting the metal surface to oxidize and printing a plurality of super-imposed color films containing. each a mineral pigment and a flux, the fluxes melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the Lowest, and, second, fixing said films by eat.

9. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first applying fixing said films by heat.

10. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, printing upon the metal surface a plurality of superimposed colored vitreous films, said films melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest, and, second, fixing said films by heat.-

11. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, permitting the metal surface to oxidize and applying a plurality of super-imposed colored vitreous films, said films melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact with the metal surface being the lowest, and, second, fixing said films by heat.

12. The method of producing multicolor decorations on metal articles containing aluminum, which consists in, first, permitting the metal surface to oxidize and printing u plurality of superimposed colored vitreous films, said films melting at different temperatures and the melting point of the film in contact With the metal surface being the lowest, films by heat.

Signed at New York, in the county of 10 Bronx, and State of New York, this 26th clay of May, A. D. 1919.

and, second, fixing said KALMAN WARGA. 

